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Those of you who have gotten to know me in my non-internet life know that I somehow seem to find myself attending formal occasions; perhaps more than the average Joe. Between my large family’s love of black-tie weddings, and attending galas, I’ve accumulated a number of evening gowns. So many so that I have a section of my closet that I refer to as my “gown closet.”

It’s quite fun, once you get over how ridiculous trying to shut a closet door full of gowns is. With another fancy occasion looming, I thought there would be no time like the present to dust a few of them off, and make some decisions as to what to wear next!

I had a great purchasing this blue dress at the BCBG boutique in downtown San Francisco years ago. The style had just come in and I was the first to try it on and “model” it for the staff. The salesgirls were so sweet and helpful, I had a hard time deciding on a dress to take home, because I ended up finding so many that I liked.

A number of dresses have been left out of the picture, for the moment. I have a vintage, red Oleg Cassinni strapless gown, a heavily beaded magenta sari, two tea-length lace dresses trimmed with ostrich feathers, a rhinestone-encrusted silver gown in need of some alterations, and a slightly sheer black mermaid skirt that can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. One would think that I would be set for life with my dress collection, but I somehow manage to run out of options when new occasions pop up. I’ve most definitely worn a few of them for multiple occasions, so I like to think I’ve gotten my “money’s worth” out of them thus far. Each dress also holds certain memories from the night’s I’ve worn them- most notably the yellow gown pictured above, which I ended up wearing on an impromptu visit to the top of the Empire State Building in New York at 1am. I’m hoping I’ll be able to add to my collection of stories as I add to my dress collection.

I’m going to have a Cathy-comic moment and say “Ack!” It’s been altogether too long since I’ve posted on Watch Me Juggle. You see, I mentally blog everyday, it’s just the booting up the ancient laptop part that seems to scare me. Since I spend so much time in front of a computer at work, I’ve somehow developed some sort of odd fear that my work will jump out at me the minute I open up my computer at home. Completely irrational, I know, this isn’t Poltergeist. That’s just my not-really-an-excuse excuse.

Despite my recent aversion to the computer, I seem to have developed the pesky habit of staring at my phone into the wee hours of the morning, when I’m supposed to be sleeping. I usually regret this, but, just the other day, I discovered something amazing. Kate Spade, in a stroke of marketing genius, has released a series of short films featuring Anna Kendrick, all with the hashtag “Missadventure.” I’ve fully fallen in love with these spots, and have maybe watched them each four or five times at least. Adventure #1 features Kendrick, toting a mini Christmas tree and scores of shopping bags, locked out of her New York brownstone. She ends up taking selfies, drinking champagne on her stoop, and being generally embarrassing until inevitably rescuing herself.

Adventure #2 depicts an LA getaway, where she is mistaken for a meditation guru to the starts. Hilarity ensues. Best guided mediation I’ve heard in a long time: “We are among the clouds, and we look down and we see our feet….and our super cute shoes.”

The latest, Adventure #3, a decked-out Kendrick (complete with purse dog, Milos) is stood up for a date at the Russian Tea room. Again, while only minimally embarrassing herself, she manages to find even better company- not just in her fabulous, glittery gnome shaped purse. “#DatingMyPurse…is that funny? Or just worrying?” You can even shop the looks seen in each film here.

I could go on and on about how much these little ads resonate with me. I’ve shared them with countless people. They’re hilarious, and altogether a little bit too true. (“He sent me a fish emoji..? Is that a metaphor for something?” ) There’s really just something lovable about #missadventure; we’ve tried in the past to categorize this trait as “adorkable,” but this is something a bit more. Anna Kendrick portrays the quintessential girl on the go, who might be a little quirky, but is also more than capable and unabashed at who she is. This pays off for her, and I’m sure legions of women, both young and old, can somehow relate to the way she navigates her life’s challenges. Sometimes, it feels right to do something as ridiculous as having a conversation with your purse and/or dog, ordering just dessert, or dressing up in all your new purchases all at once. It certainly helps that she looks fabulous doing it. Good job, Kate Spade, good job. Now…where can I buy that ridiculous gnome purse?

My friend Sarah recently hosted a trunk show for the talented, native-Alamedan Marrin Costello. I discovered her designs this last summer (which I wrote about here), and was so excited to see more. While I haven’t been to many, trunk shows are brilliant ideas- who doesn’t love shopping with friends and a glass of bubbly?

All the shiny things!

My mother was kind enough to accompany me, and immediately bonded with Sarah’s dog, Theo. He proved to be the ultimate good sport, and tolerated us dressing him up in all the jewelry. He looks quite at ease, if anything. While I had my sights set on the ornate gold earrings pictured above, I didn’t plan on leaving with nearly as many pieces as I did. By the end, this included midi rings, a necklace, and a gold bowzer bracelet. A few were gifts, which was a lovely surprise, but the rest were, admittedly, gifts to myself. I also picked up a beautiful Italian leather wrap bracelet for my mother for Christmas, which was much more exciting to buy than the flannel pajamas she initially requested. I love the variety of Marrin’s unique designs- there’s a little something for every facet of your personality. When I’m feeling tough, or like I need a little extra back-up, I wear my spiked bracelets, usually stacked. On more delicate days, my new necklace pairs nicely with my everyday pieces. And, to instantly dress up any outfit, my new gold earrings.

In other news, I’m not allowing myself to buy any more jewelry for the majority of 2015. What about you, dear readers? Do you have jewelry designs (or a particular designer) you gravitate to? Jewelry can be such a powerful, personal thing- I think it’s important for everyone to have a little something special.

Anyone else feeling those January blues that tend to set in after all the holidays? I sure am. It’s in that sigh when you inevitably have to go back to work. It’s in the ritual of bundling up before you go outside: hat, check; gloves, check; scarf, check. It’s hard to get into January, quite frankly. Which is why you need your good friends around to tell you you’re not crazy, and to help you unwind with the occasional cocktail. Which brings me to the very first of my “Five Things” of the week.

(Like that segue? I like to pretend I’m smooth sometimes.)

I give you: Karl the Fog. A coffee-based cocktail from Bluestem Brasserie in San Francisco. I highly recommend them the next time you find yourself in need of some refuge in the midst of all the downtown SF craziness.

I finally took my Christmas tree down yesterday, but I wanted to share my newest ornament with you, dear readers. Yes, it’s a lemon wedge. It was a gift from a friend of mine, who told me I always had the ability to make life’s lemons into lemonade. It was a sparkling nod to optimism, this silly lemon.

I know it’s not yet Thursday, but this is a throwback to the evening when my friend Kelsey and I rang in 2013. I had a lot of change in store for me, but I didn’t know it yet!

I admittedly like to take photos during the odd moment of calm in the office. Yes, it’s a cliché Starbucks cup shot! And no, that’s not how you spell my name. But, I did get a row of new little gold Bowzer spikes from the fabulous Marrin Costello!

Doesn’t every good family dinner end with a large bottle of the latest pre-mixed cocktail brought to you by a famous rapper? Well, mine did. A family member works for a local liquor distribution/production company, and happens to be friends with E-40. Who knew? The best part of the evening was watching his wife cajole us with lines from “My Shit Bang.” I love these people.

Is it just me or does there seems to be an awful lot of pressure associated with the holidays?

Sure, it makes sense – frustrations tend to surmount at the end of the year. You have all those presents to think about, all the people you care about to please, and enough rain to make everyone drive like there must be a fifth of scotch in their car cup holders. (Side note: Californians really don’t do well with rain, do they?) Let’s not forget trying to navigate the frightening crowds of people who takeover the mall this time of year.

After seeing everyone (including myself, at times) go wacky around Christmastime, I decided that sometimes you need to be a little extra kind to yourself. Let’s face it, even when things are going great, the holidays aren’t necessarily easy to navigate. No matter how or what you celebrate, you want to do it well.

Sometimes, you just need to buy it for yourself.

And I did!

I’m not necessarily a fan of waiting around for things to happen, so I marched myself into Tiffany’s one day and nabbed a piece I had been eyeing for quite a while. I love the contrast between the silver and the single rose gold heart. It was a bit indulgent, I must say, but I wear it everyday and I love it. I’m a firm believer in treating yourself a bit around the holidays, along with all those you care about. Let’s face it, life can be stressful sometimes, just be sure to surround yourself with beautiful people as well as a few beautiful things.